Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says the federal government has reached millions of young Canadians through various, intensive public education campaigns aimed at informing them about the health and safety risks of using cannabis.

The lack of a visible, national public awareness campaign is among the top concerns of senators who are currently studying the bill to legalize recreational marijuana.

But if senators haven鈥檛 seen the campaigns, Petitpas Taylor says that鈥檚 because they鈥檙e not aimed at people in their age group; they鈥檙e aimed at youths who are considered the most vulnerable to the potential adverse health impacts of cannabis use.

And that means the campaigns are showing up on social media platforms and web banners, not primarily on television or radio.

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Petitpas Taylor says one program, started last year and targeting 13- to 24-year-olds, has reached 7.9 million young people through social media, and web banners have been seen 47 million times.

Moreover, she says a public safety campaign to discourage drug-impaired driving, targeting youths through Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Youtube, Chatbox and other social media platforms, has been seen 64 million times.

As well, signs warning against driving high have also been placed in 210 cinemas across the country.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to great lengths to ensure that accurate information is being delivered to young people,鈥� Petitpas Taylor told the Senate鈥檚 social affairs committee Wednesday.

In addition to targeting youths, she said Health Canada has been conducting an education campaign targeting parents, running ads on social media, television and radio. And the department has partnered with Drug Free Kids Canada to distribute more than 180,000 鈥淐annabis Talk鈥� kits to help parents discuss the issue with their children.

鈥淚 am confident that our comprehensive public awareness campaign will increase Canadians鈥� understanding of the facts on cannabis and will ultimately protect their health and safety.鈥�

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But not all senators seemed reassured.

鈥淣owhere have I seen evidence of how this particular age group, 18-25, will be protected and kept well-informed,鈥� commented independent Sen. Chantal Petitclerc at one point.

Conservative Sen. Nancy Greene Raine said by legalizing marijuana, the government is sending 鈥渁 very strong message to young people that it鈥檚 OK.鈥�

And fellow Conservative Sen. Vern White questioned how the government can say it鈥檚 trying to discourage cannabis use among young people when the bill would allow their parents to grow up to four plants in their home, where it would be easily accessible to kids.

However, Petitpas Taylor argued that Canadian youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are already 鈥渁mong the highest users of cannabis in the world.鈥� The objective of legalization is to regulate it and make it harder for young people to get their hands on it.

Liberal MP Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief who is the Liberal government鈥檚 point man on cannabis legalization, told the committee that educating parents who intend to grow their own pot will also be important.

鈥淔rankly, any parent has a responsibility to protect their children from anything, from the medicine cabinet, from anything that can cause them harm,鈥� he said, noting that the main source of alcohol for underage kids is 鈥渟wiping it out of their father鈥檚 liquor cabinet.鈥�

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Joan Bryden , The Canadian Press

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